


Les Miserables Adaptation Content Warning Guide

by greenleaf_starbright



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Fandom 101, Fandom Guide, Meta, Other, non-fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 12:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30022083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenleaf_starbright/pseuds/greenleaf_starbright
Summary: Content & trigger warning guide for filmed adaptations of Les Mis (films, series, and musical productions). WIP.





	1. Project Overview

This document is a WIP by the tumblr _Les Mis_ watchalong community. It provides trigger warnings and content information for filmed adaptations of _Les Miserables._

This document includes written descriptions of triggering content. These descriptions aim to be accurate but not graphic. I have chosen "Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" because I'm not sure how else to tag this kind of work.

#### Disclaimer

  * This is a work in progress
  * Triggers are subjective
  * We are doing our best
  * Timecodes refer to the version I watched. They are not necessarily accurate for your version.



#### Help the guide

  * We accept additions, corrections, and new entries
  * Please contribute in the comments, or by messaging [greenleaf-starbright](greenleaf-starbright.tumblr.com/) on tumblr



#### Project contributors

greenleaf-starbright,

#### Version

v2 - 13/03/2021 - uploaded to AO3

### What do we warn for?

We do not warn for general Les Mis plot-points which exist in every adaptation (i.e. _emotional abuse of a child by her foster parents_ )

However, this guide picks up on additions to the story or presentation choices which we think are unusually graphic, unexpected, or likely to cause distress.

These entries **will spoil plot details** of the adaptation being discussed - sometimes in detail. This is to allow people to have an informed choice about what to skip, or to be prepared for what happens in a scene; and to allow people who skip a scene to keep up with the plot.

We keep a priority eye out for:

  * sexual violence
  * physical violence
  * police violence
  * emotional abuse
  * specific violence aimed at a particular identity group
  * incest
  * strobing/flashing images
  * suicidal ideation
  * torture
  * self-injury
  * hanging



### Index

#### Chapter 2: Films

  * SHORT: 1897 - Victor Hugo et les principaux personnages des misérables
  * SHORT: 1906 – Le Cheminau
  * SHORT: 1977 - Козетта/ Kozete (Latvian puppet animation focused on Cosette at the Thenardier's)
  * SHORT: 1986 - Гаврош /Gavroche (drawn animation focused on Gavroche)
  * SHORT: “Bedtime Stories: Les Miserables” (modern "for-children" animation found online)
  * 2019 - Modern Paris AU _(dir: Ladj Ly)_



#### Chapter 3: Series

  * 1982/1985 French Miniseries (dir: Robert Hossein)



#### Chapter 4: Musicals

  * 2014 - Dallas Theatre Center (modern dress)




	2. Films

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Content guide and trigger warnings for movies based on Les Miserables. WIP.

This chapter describes challenging content in films of _Les Miserables_. It is updated whenever I watch a new film.

### Les Mis Shorts

No content warnings required for:

  * 1897 - Victor Hugo et les principaux personnages des misérables
  * 1906 – Le Cheminau 
  * 1977 - Козетта/ Kozete (Latvian puppet animation focused on Cosette at the Thenardier's)
  * 1986 - Гаврош /Gavroche (drawn animation focused on Gavroche)
  * “Bedtime Stories: Les Miserables” (modern "for-children" animation found online)



### 2019 - Ladj Ly - Modern Paris AU

This is an intense modern-day story about the police targeting the Black Muslim community in Paris - specifically, children. It is based more on the themes of _Les Mis_ than Hugo's actual plot.

 **Throughout:** strong violence & threat towards Black children by the police (and by other adults), repeatedly throughout the film.

(I did take notes towards a time-by-time viewers guide so you know when to skip, but my judgement is that this is the central theme of the film & if you need to avoid this content, then you need to avoid the film as a whole)

Other warnings include:

  * discrimination (racist and homophobic language)
  * injury detail (moderate)
  * police harassment against children (moderate)
  * police violence against children (strong)
  * violence against animals (mild - features circus animals)
  * violence (moderate)



Details of these topics below.

#### Discrimination

  * Throughout: ambient racial tension (i.e. people referring to one another using casual racialised slur terms)
  * [00:28:50 -00: 30:00] homophobic language threatening violence (but not to an individual person, and in a general sense i.e. not targeted at an actual LGBT person)



#### Injury Detail

A child is injured. He is a major character, and spends the second half of the film with a visibly injured face: large black eyes, bloody face, and puffy eyes/face.

#### Police Harrassment (against children)

[00:20:20 - 00:21:46]

Two police officers intimidate a group of 15-year-old girls.

He blows smoke in her face, takes her hand and smells it, and gets in her personal space. When her friend begins filming the encounter, he smashes her phone and and raises his voice. The group of girls walk away.

1:13:56 - 1:15:27 The police return a child they arrested and injured to his home area.

This scene includes the cop getting in the child's personal space, manhandling him, and forcing the child to say what happened was his fault. The scene is not violent, but it is upsetting and threatening.

#### Police Violence (against children)

[00:41:40 - 00:42:42]

Three police officers see a group of young teens/ older children hanging out in front of their flats.

They raise their voices. One corners a child, another holds him by the arm behind his back and hurries him up the stairs. One holds a child by the face and pushes him against the wall. They line the children up against the wall in their flat and frisk them.

One of the children swears at a police officer, and in response he is thrown to the floor. A mother comes out of a flat almost immediately and scolds the police officers until they leave.

[00:47:39 - 00:48:53]

Three police officers interrupt a large group of children playing football.

One grabs a child and tackles him to the ground; later in the scene, he headlocks him. The other children form a shouting crowd, and the other officers hold them back with pushing, shouting, threatening them with pepper spray (?) and a baton.

(this sequence is continued in next section)

[00:48:53-00:51:44]

The child who was targeted runs, alone and is pursued by two cops. The third cop is revealed to be holding a gun, and pursues him in a car.

The cop catches the child and handcuffs him on the grond, holding his hair and shouting at him. Another holds him with a baton against his neck. 

The other children catch up with them and shout at the police and throw things. The police officers wield a baton and pepper spray against them, and point a gun at them.

When the handcuffed child attempts to run, he is shot (non-lethally), in the view of the other children. This clip section ends with the child injured, and the cops reacting to what happened.

[1:10:52 - 1:13:36]

The police officers return the baby lion to the circus. This clip is the entire sequence in the circus top.

The police officers bring the boy who stole the lion to the lion's owner to apologise. The lion is returned. The lion's owner pushes the boy into the lion cage, holding him and threatens him with the adult lion who growls and swipes at the boy. 

No injury is done, the clip ends with the boy leaving with the officers.

#### Violence against Animals

This story is partly about a lion cub that is kidnapped from the circus. No animals are injured on-screen in the film (except if you consider the whole context of circus animals to be a form of passive harm) .

[1:10:52 - 1:11:16]

A circus performer cracks a whip at a caged lion (the whip doesn't make contact)

1:10:52 - 1:13:36]

The police officers return the baby lion to the circus. Skip this clip to avoid the entire sequence in the circus top.

It includes humans cuddling a baby lion, lions kept in cages and small carry cases, a whip cracked at a lion, a lion being threatened with a gun, and a lion being used to threaten a child. 

No animals are harmed in this sequence (except if you consider the whole context of circus animals to be a form of passive harm)

The police officers bring the boy who stole the lion to the lion's owner to apologise. The lion is returned. The lion's owner pushes the boy into the lion cage and threatens him. No injury is done, the clip ends with the boy leaving with the officers.

#### Violence

[1:30:30 - 1:39:30]

This sequence is the climax of the film. 

A child fires a firework at the police-car. The police attempt to follow him into his apartment block, but they are ambushed by a large crowd of children.

The sequence is intense and violent throughout. It includes loud noises (fireworks, shouting), enclosed spaces (narrow hallways and staircases) that are filled with smoke and fire. 

One police officer is hit and bleeds in the face. All three are cornered and threatened. Another adult man is graphically beaten to the floor and stomped and hit with sticks. 

Broadly, the children are not under threat in this sequence - they are the aggressors, and outnumber the police who are shown to be hiding. A police officer aims a gun at a child, and pepper sprays them, and fire in their direction. 

The film ends without resolving the conflict, leaving the audience unsure who survives and who is killed or hurt. 


	3. Series

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Content guide and trigger warnings for serial adaptations of Les Mis

This chapter describes challenging content in serials of Les Miserables. It is updated whenever I watch a new serial (or if anyone submits a review).

### 1982/1985 French Miniseries

_dir: Hossein_

**Episode 1** \- mild sexual assault

  * [46:24-47:44] when Bamatabois throws snow at Fantine
  * Forced kissing, as well as a generally violent mood



**Episode 3** – moderate self- injury

  * [29:06-29:27] at the Gorbeau House
  * Valjean lifts his sleeve and burns his forearm with a hot brand



**Episode 4** \- moderate sexual assault

  * [20:34-21:03] as the barricade falls
  * Groups of soldiers straddle and begin stripping women insurgents from the barricades as they retreat in the Cafe Corinthe
  * This scene kinda comes out of nowhere like whoah, and was the inspiration for this guide.




	4. Musical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Content guide and trigger warnings for filmed versions of the Les Mis musical

This chapter describes challenging content in filmed productions of the Les Miserables musical. It is updated whenever I watch a new production. Additionally, if anyone wants to make a content guide for currently touring versions of the live show, I'd love to add it to the guide.

Some productions described are bootlegs, or exist in multiple versions. For this reason, timestamps may vary (i.e. if you're watching a version of the production filmed by a different person or on a different night). The primary thing this chapter looks out for, basically, is "Lovely Ladies is a bit much".

### 1987 - original staging (with the revolve/ Martin Smith as JVJ)

No content warnings needed.

### 2013 - Magdeburg (outdoors)

 **after Lovely Ladies** \- moderate sexual violence

  * [00:24:40 - 00:26:50] Bamatabois and Fantine - he forces her to the ground and straddles her, hits her



### 2014 - Dallas Theatre Center (modern dress)

 **Throughout:** – police violence. Contemporary-dress adaptation, in which police/national guard are dressed like modern police officers armed with guns. Troubling “realistic” imagery, reminiscent of real life.

(I haven’t necessarily been able to warn for every moment of this: it is sort of “price of entry” for Dallas)

 **Look Down** – moderate police violence against prisoners, wearing orange jumpsuits

  * [0:42- 3:34] Whole sequence, skips to Valjean’s first soliloquy, avoiding any prisoners or police
  * [0:42-2:12] Skips to Javert’s vocals, avoiding an extended sequence of one police officer attacking a prisoner who is forced to his knees



**Lovely Ladies** \- serious/significant sexual violence

  * [22:48-28:34] Timestamp to skip the whole sequence. Unlike many adaptations, this song is performed with a degree of seriousness, sexual explictness, and has a threatening mood, including police officers as johns.
  * [26:57- 28:34] very strong sexual violence warning. Bamatabois attacks Fantine.



**Fall of the barricade** – police violence against protestors

  * Again, police violence throughout Dallas and throughout all barricade scenes, proceed at your own risk
  * [31:15-33:17]from “until the earth is free” onwards, the fall of the barricade •
  * [33:17] onwards, the bodies of the insurgents are present just lying there, until midway through Empty Chairs [~47:13]




End file.
